Dog daze

Someone once said that a person's character can be judged by the compassion they have for animals.

Stevie Lowery

This dog was one of 24 dumped on the Marion County/Taylor County line Tuesday, Jan. 24.

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Marion County Animal Shelter

Three of the dogs that were dumped on the Marion County/Taylor County line Jan. 24 didn’t survive. Pictured is a dog that froze to death.

Marion County Animal Shelter

Kay Turpin took this photo where the dogs were dumped.

Sarah Violettte Gribbins/Marion County Animal Shelter

Kay Turpin of the Marion County Animal Shelter gets a kiss from one of the dogs she rescued.

Stevie Lowery

onnie Gribbins holds one of the 24 dogs that was abandoned on the Marion County/Taylor County line last week. He and his sister-in-law, Cathy, are volunteering as foster families.

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Kay Turpin and Sarah Gribbins at the Marion County Animal Shelter definitely believe that to be the case. On a daily basis, they see some of the most caring and some of the most callous individuals.

Unfortunately, during the past several months, those callous individuals have been making Turpin and Gribbins' job at the shelter more difficult than ever. Since November of last year, people have been dropping dogs off at the Marion County/Taylor County line. In fact, Tuesday of last week, 24 dogs were dumped, as if they were unwanted pieces of trash.

There's currently a $3,500 reward being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for dumping the dogs. And, Turpin has a message for those people.

"If you think you're doing these dogs a favor, you're not," she said. "Three of the dogs died before we could get to them."

One of the dogs actually froze to death, and another dog they were unable to catch.

And, like Turpin said, those responsible might believe they are, in fact, helping these animals after an inmate accused the Taylor County Animal Shelter of burying dogs alive last year. Taylor County Judge/Executive Eddie Rogers and Taylor County Animal Shelter Director John Harris have denied the claims. However, the allegations have caused a great deal of controversy, and the fallout has definitely crossed county lines. As of Monday, the shelter is responsible for 118 dogs, some of which are being cared for in foster homes, not to mention the approximately 40 cats that are also at the shelter. To say that the shelter and its staff are overwhelmed is an understatement.

"We're doing the best we can with these dogs," Gribbins said. "In the end, it's not about the people, it's about these dogs."

Marion County has an agreement to accept dogs from Washington County, but the shelter is not supposed to accept dogs from other counties. Meanwhile, Taylor County has agreements with Casey, LaRue, Green and Adair counties. So, one can't help but assume that some of the dogs that have been dumped are from one or more of those counties.

"What they are doing is wrong," Gribbins said. "If they need help with their animals, call us. We're willing to pull together and get these dogs placed."

Currently, the shelter has eight foster families caring for pets, but they need more. To be a foster family, you have to be approved, and the pet has to be spayed or neutered. You're also responsible for pet supplies, but the shelter will provide food.

Cathy Gribbins and her brother-in-law, Ronnie Gribbins, are both volunteering as "foster parents" for the shelter and took home two dogs Friday afternoon.

"We say foster, but we can't give them up. We'll end up keeping them," Cathy Gribbins said. "We don't have kids, so all of our money goes to our dogs."

In addition to foster families, the shelter also needs supplies such as laundry detergent, dog food, flea and tick medications, and dog beds. The shelter will also accept monetary donations for supplies.

"The more we get donated, the more dogs we can keep alive," Turpin said.

Can you help the Marion County Animal Shelter?

The Marion County Animal Shelter is overwhelmed with more than 100 dogs and needs volunteers to be foster families. To be a foster family, you have to be approved, and the pet has to be spayed or neutered. You're also responsible for pet supplies, but the shelter will provide food.

The shelter is also in need of supplies and monetary donations. The shelter specifically needs:

• Laundry detergent

• Dawn dish liquid

• Pet Armor (flea and tick meds)

• Dog beds

• Any kind of dog toys

The Marion County Animal Shelter is located on Highway 208. The phone number is (270) 692-0464.

The Humane Society of the United States offers $2,500 award

The Humane Society of the United States is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the rash of dog abandonment cases in Marion County. The Marion County Fiscal Court has also put up a $1,000 reward.

In the past 45 days, more than 130 dogs have been dumped in remote areas in Marion County - more than double the rate shelter staff normally sees in the same time frame. The animals have been dropped off in groups of five to 27. Some of the abandoned dogs were hit by cars and others were found dead.

"These dogs have been dropped in very rural areas where they don't know where they are and have no means of caring for themselves. Some have been killed by cars and others were found dead," said Pamela Rogers, Kentucky state director of The Humane Society of the United States. "This is not only inhumane, it's a crime that has seriously taxed the resources of the Marion County Animal Shelter, which is struggling to catch and care for all these animals."

The dogs were found as follows:

• Dec. 12, 2011: Ten dogs were found in the area of Minnie Brown Road and Highway 289.

• Dec. 27, 2011: Thirteen dogs were found in the area of Jim Brown Road and Highway 208.

• Jan. 3: Nine dogs were found shot in the head in the area of Campbellsville Road/Highway 55.

• Jan. 19: Seven dogs were found in the area of Moore's Creek Road and Highway 289.

• Jan. 24: Five dogs were found in the area of Jim Brown Road and Highway 208.

• Jan. 24: Twenty-seven dogs were found in the area of Campbellsville Road/Highway 55.

• Jan. 27: Twelve dogs were found in the area of Moore's Creek Road and Highway 289.

The HSUS is also offering a $1,000 grant through its Shelters in Crisis program to the Marion County Animal Shelter to offset the cost of caring for the influx of animals.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office is investigating. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Sheriff Jimmy Clements at (270) 692-3051.